SOME THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES ABOUT FERTILIZING by Fr. Gervase Degenhardt

9; Over the course of several years I have adopted a new approach to fertilizing my roses. I doubt very much that this is a new approach for some rosarians, but it is new for me. We all know that there are many ways to fertilize and many things with which to fertilize; some may simply buy a bag of any 10-10-10 granular fertilizer and use it, and others may be very adventurous and attempt a variety of organic or inorganic fertilizers. They are all fine, and all probably do a commendable job.

The new approach I use was suggested by Howard Walters, the new ARS President Emeritus, and was presented in a previous issue of the American Rose magazine. I have taken to calling his suggestion "feed store fertilizer," because you can buy all the ingredients of his recommended fertilizer at a feed store. It’s mostly organic so we can also be proud that we have been somewhat environmentally kind.

 Here is the recipe that Mr. Walters gives—and as was said most of the staples of the recipe can be found in the feed store. Mix about 50 pounds of 10-10-10 with trace elements (coated release), 50 pounds each of alfalfa meal and fish meal, 20 pounds each of cottonseed meal and blood meal, 25 pounds of bone meal, and 10 pounds of triple superphosphate. One can blend all of these dry ingredients together in some fashion: either in a couple of big wheelbarrows or even in a big pile. This is a large amount of fertilizer, and what I did was put manageable amounts in large, heavyduty plastic bags for use as needed. Mr. Walters warned that the mixture should be kept dry until used because it begins to work when it gets wet. The analysis, after mixture, is about 8-8-8.

For the first feeding of the spring, this was my fertilizer of choice for the past three years. I gave each rose bush 2 heaping cupfuls and each miniature about a half cup. I then scratched it into the soil and gave the plant a lot of water. Mr. Walters suggested this for the spring and then recommended that this organic feast be repeated about mid-August.

After the first feeding, I decided, however, to go my own way. For the subsequent feedings, I used a combination of liquid fish emulsion and kelp extract (I used Sea-Green Kelp Extract from Bonide). All of us know of the wonders of fish emulsion (I will say a bit about Salmon Fertilizer later in this article) and have for a long time, but sea kelp is a bit later in making a name for itself (I will also touch on this subject later). Many advocate using both the fish emulsion and the kelp extract as a foliar spray, and I am sure that it works wonderfully well, but the way I used it is as a soil drench.

Both the fish emulsion and the sea kelp were recommended at the rate of 1 tablespoonful per gallon of water to be used every two weeks. Knowing that neither of them were likely to burn the bushes at higher doses, I used two tablespoonfuls of each per gallon of water and gave each bush about 2 or slightly more gallons of the mixture each month. After I noticed how well the bushes responded, I was not too exact about doling out just two tablespoonfuls of each per gallon—often I got more into the mixture. The foliage was simply a wonderful dark green and the bushes flourished; sometimes becoming almost giants.

It is impossible for me to be absolutely certain that this fertilizing program alone did the trick in producing such wonderful bushes, but I can say with absolute certainty that it did not hinder them in any way. One tends to stick with something that appears to be working, so that you can rest assured that I will continue to give my roses the same diet that they have been getting for the past two years.

The "feed store fertilizer" I will not comment on any further since it was recommended and came from a respected source. But I would like to comment briefly about fertilizing with fish emulsion, and then about seaweed for plants a bit more at length. One reason for this is that their use is highly commended by the two people from which I will quote at length. And the second reason, is that you might want to be convinced about their use.

The following remarks are highlights of an interview which was first presented on the Faith Middleton Show on Connecticut Public Radio, February 13. 2001. The person who was interviewed was Nancy DeBrule, who (as you can tell) was very convinced of the value of the particular type of fish fertilizer she is touting: Salmon Fertilizer (called Rose Bay Salmon). Nancy points out the great results she has noticed since she has begun using this product. She is an organic gardener and, of course, is happy with such an organic fertilizer. She points out that it makes "things bloom like crazy" and that it gives "tremendous resistance to stress on the plants." She also notices "phenomenal protection for plants against deer." Since the product contained salmon oil it sticks to the plants wonderfully. Though not even Nancy would claim that it is effective against blackspot and powdery mildew, she does claim that it "helps." I would not, however, hinge any recommendation upon that claim—its fertilizing properties should be enough for that. The interview ends with a lengthy discussion about the aroma of the fertilizer. She states that it dissipates in a day, and all of us are aware of fish emulsion "smells" and that doesn’t seem to hinder anyone from using them. Nancy uses Rose Bay Salmon as a foliar spray.

The president of Coast of Maine Organic Products, Inc. (ed. - www.coastofmaine.com)—Carlos J. Quijano—points out that it can be used either as a foliar spray or as a drench. He tells us that the fertilizer is a combination of fermented salmon and epsom salts (magnesium sulfate). What makes this organic fertilizer so special (according to him, I cannot personally verify any of this since I have not used the product) is the effect it seems to have on pests (especially soft insects and deer) and diseases like powdery mildew and blackspot. The belief of the company is that Rose Bay Salmon does what it does because of the fatty acids—of which salmon is an especially rich source—and a fermentation process that converts the salmon into a pure liquid that is immediately available to plants.

To recapitulate thus far: for three years I have fertilized with Howard Walter’s ‘feed 1 store fertilizer’ for the first spring feeding, for the second feeding I have used fish emulsion as a soil drench, two tablespoonfuls (or more) per gallon (of water, plus kelp extract, also at two tablespoonfuls (or more) per same gallon of water. In other words, that same gallon of water has two tablespoons of fish emulsion and two tablespoons of kelp. This I pour around each plant to the tune of at least two gallons of mixture. For the fish emulsion I have not used Rose Bay Salmon though I would willingly do so should I get my hands on it.

Now to move to some consideration of seaweed for plants. As far as I know, use of such fertilizers is of shorter duration than use of fish emulsions; nor is it as tried and tested. I guess the question we need to ask is: "Are seaweed sprays and drenches as beneficial as advocates claim?" My experience seems to point in that direction; but for a controlled test one would have to do the study with it and without it. Or, one could go to someone who has knowledge of it and experience with it. Permit me to condense some thoughts of Robert Kourik who wrote about the matter in the July/August ‘98 issue of National Gardening. I will make this somewhat more lengthy than that about fish emulsions, since, I believe, many rosarians know less about it.

"Long ago, gardeners who lived near the ocean learned that seaweed was good for their plants. Exactly how it works is difficult to pin down, but scientists have found in seaweeds a veritable soup of plant growth stimulants, vitamins, chelating agents, trace minerals, enzymes, and amino acids, all of which influence plant growth in different ways." So Robert Kourik begins his treatise about seaweed for plants. He goes on to quote Robert Parnes in his classic Organic & Inorganic Fertilizers (Woods End Agricultural Institute, 1986; $40): "Perhaps the most important merit of seaweed is its content of assimilable organic materials, in particular the growth hormones."

All seem to agree that seaweeds contain only small amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, so, as I understand it, one would not be using seaweed in order to obtain those elements. There have been several university studies which have shown that seaweed can produce dramatic results; but I will permit you to look into that further, should you choose to do so. Suffice it to say that the results were varied and many: more flowers per plant, fruits were sweeter, corms grew larger, vegetable yields increased, fruits suffered less often from softening and rotting, there was better frost tolerance, increased seed germination, and a greater capacity to absorb trace elements. This is certainly a long list and it has been well-documented.

"When gardeners talk about using seaweed in gardens, they are usually referring to a brown algae, specifically the one known as knotweed or rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum). The seaweed product that has been around the longest (40 years) is Maxicrop. It is normally sold as a dry powder that you mix with water and apply as a spray. But it is also available as a liquid concentrate, as are most other seaweeds. That which I have used is a liquid and I have used it as stated above: each plant watered with 2, or even 3, gallons.

I will leave to your desire to ferret out more, concerning how the liquid seaweed fertilizers of all sorts are extracted and the different types and their potencies. I will rely on Mr. Kourik, basically giving his regimen as to its need and its use. First of all as to its need: "I recommend using seaweed extracts on plants where irregularly yellowed foliage suggests a micronutrient deficiency. Diagnosing such hunger signs is very tricky for most home gardeners. The surest way to know—a leaf-tissue analysis—is expensive, which is why applying the broad spectrum of micronutrients found in seaweed extracts may be an efficient remedy."

"A deficiency of micronutrients in the soil rarely causes a deficiency in the plants. Micronutrient deficiencies in the plants are commonly caused by soil that has poor structure, is poorly drained, is cold, or has a pH that is too high or too low. In these situations, the tonic of a seaweed can help the most."

Secondly as to its use and application: "Apply seaweed meal to soil, or apply extracts as a liquid soil drench or onto leaves. Nutrients applied directly to leaves are absorbed and then pass into the plant’s circulatory system. Once there, the nutrients are distributed throughout the plants’ tissues.

"Most liquid extracts require dilution in the range of 1 to 2½ ounces per gallon of water. To mix powders (¼ teaspoon per gallon) easily, treat them like a gravy. First mix a small amount of water with the powder to make a thick smooth paste and dissolve lumps. Then, add the paste to the full volume of water. Apply seaweed meals at the rate of 1 to 3 pounds per 100 square feet." I have never used seaweed powders, and it seems to me that mixing the liquids is much simpler.

"Follow the dilution rates and spraying intervals recommended on the container. Don’t assume that using more than label-directed amounts of a benign material like seaweed can’t hurt. Studies have shown that at greater-than-recommended concentrations, seaweed sprays can actually retard plant growth." This is an excellent point—Mr. Kourik’s urging to use label recommendations—that should always be the case. I have stated that my practice is otherwise; I use more in the mix but I apply less often. I have definitely had no growth retardation, the opposite is rather the case.

"Foliar seaweed sprays are best applied with a pressurized tank or backpack-type sprayer. These devices are much better than a hose-end or siphon type sprayer because they can spray a very fine mist, which allows more solution to stay on the leaves rather than drip to the ground. There is also evidence that a fine mist allows more rapid or efficient absorption of the seaweed in the water....Be sure to thoroughly cover the undersides of leaves as well as the tops."

Mr. Kourik advises that you spray early in the morning or in the evening (leaves do not as readily absorb the spray at midday), and, if your plants show any sign of disease, spray only in the morning so that the roses have a chance to dry quickly so as not to spread the infection.

"Foliar sprays are absorbed relatively quickly, in 1 to 24 hours. Should it rain within a day, respray. Likewise, don’t irrigate the plant from above until a day after spraying." He then goes on give the regular advice concerning spreader-stickers.

A final bit of information which is relevant to those living near the shore, is that which Mr. Kourik gives about collecting seaweed yourself and using it as a compost. Rinse off the salt with fresh water, and check whether it is legal in your area. He ends with this sage advice: "Though no soil or plant additive will ever replace good gardening practices, only seaweed provides so many key plant micronutrients and growth enhancers in a quickly available form."

I would like to end this article—which has become a rather composite-like creation (and lengthy)—with the final thrust of consummate satisfaction with the combined-type of fertilizer program that I have been using these past three years. Does my approach work? I would have to answer that question with a resounding "yes!" Can I be assured scientifically that all that I do is required? I doubt it. But I do know that none of it is harmful to my roses. And somewhere within my approach there is something that is surely working, and working mighty well!